Interrupter.



T. ABTMEYER.

INTERRUPTER.

APPLICATION FLLED SEPT. 10, 1914.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

INVENTOR 7729000/"9 Abf/HPW/T ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT ornroln.

SYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE ABTMEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oflVilkinsbiirg, in the county of Allegheny cation.

and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new i and I useful Improvement in Interrupters, of which thefollowing is a specifi- My invention relates tointerrupters and particularly to such devices asare employed in connection with the ignition systems of internal combustion engines. V

One object of my invention 18 to provide an interrupter which comprises a simple andconvenient means for determining the point in the cycle of the internal combustion engine to" which it -may bei operatively connected, at which the ignition mechanism operates to produce a spark in one of the engine cylinders. I

A second object ofmy invention is to pro:

vide an ignition device, the working parts of which maybe readily removed and assembled without disturbing the operative relation to the engine shaft.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple construction by means of which the condenser that is usually employed in connection with interrupters. may

becombined with it toform a unitarystructure.

It is a difficult matter to operatively connect an interrupter, as ordinarily constructed, to a gas engine in such a manner as to cause the ignition spark to occur at the proper point in theyengine cycle. The cam which eflectsthe engagement andseparation of the contact members is usually attached to the actuating shaft by means of a set" screw .orsimilar fastening device. In case it is necessary to remove'the cam for anypurpose, the entireprocess of setting themechanism must be repeated.

I provide an interrupter which may be set or timed with the engine by simply adjusting the angular position of a threaded nut relatively to a rotatable shaft that isoperatively connected to the engine. A locking nut retains the adjustable nut in position after its angular relationto the shaft has been determined. When the mechanism has once been properly adjusted, the interrupter parts may be removed and again assembled without. the necessity. for. readjust- THEODORE ABTMEYER, or WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TONVESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING INTERRUPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t nt d Feb 15, 191 Application filed September 10, 1914. Serial No. 861,076; A

ment. The condenser is mounted in a removable cap and its terminals are automatically connected to the contact members of the interrupter when the device is assembled. In the-accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an end view, in elevation, of an interrupter constructed in accordance with my invention, the cover member being removed. Fig. 2 1s a slde view, in longitudinal section, of the mechanism of Fig. 1, the cover being in place. Fig. 3 is an end view, in elevation, of the cover plate for the interrupter. Fig. 4 1s a view, partially in elevation and'partially in section, of the timing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic'view of circuits and apparatus embodyingmy invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, an interrupter 1' comprises a rotatable portion which includes a shaft 2 which may be, for example, the shaft of a dynamo-electric machine. Theshaft 2 may, however, be any other shaft that is operatively connected to theengine shaft at asuitable speed. ratio.

Theshaft 2 is 1 provided with a reduced threaded'portion 3 uponwhich is mounted an adjustable hexagonal nut 4-having one side cut away to form a shoulder 5. look ing nut 6-of similar shape retains the adjust able nut 4 in anydesired position.

A cam member 7, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 6, is provided with oppositely disposedcam surfaces 8 and with v a projecting-portion 9'which coacts with the shoulder portion 5 of the nut 4. As best shown in Fig. 4, the projection 9 and the cup shape, surrounds theQflahgc portion 12 and is yieldingly attached thereto by a pair of spring pressed balls 15 which engage a groove 16 in the flange portion 12.

A lever 17 has an intermediate curved portion 18 which bears upon an insulating bushing 19 having circular flanges 20 to form a bobbin or spool-like structure. The bushing 19 is rotatably mounted upon a pin 21 which thus forms a pivotal support for the lever 17. A spring 22 bears upon one end of the lever 17 to normally effect the engagement of a contact member 23 carried by the lever at its opposite end, with a stationary contact member 2%1 that is adj ustably mounted upon a terminal member 25. The lever 17 is provided, at an intermediate portion, with a block 26 of fiber, or other suitable material, to coact with the cam surfaces 8 of the cam disk 7.

A removable cover member 27, which incloses the mechanism above described, contains a condenser 28 having terminal members 29. The cover member 27 is retained in position by bolts 30 and thumb-nuts 31 which connect the terminals of an ignition circuit to the terminals29 of the condenser 28 and to the contact members 23 and 2 1 of the interrupter mechanism.

The electrical circuits employed in connection with my invention are illustrated in Fig. 5. A primary circuit, which is controlled by the contact members 23 and 24, comprises a battery 32, 'or other suitable source of current, and the primary winding of an induction coil 83. The condenser 28 is connected in shunt relation to the battery and induction coil. The secondary circuit, only a portion of which isshown, may consist of the usual well. known elements and a description of the same is not necessary to an understanding of the present invention.

It is well known that, in starting a gas engine, back firing will occur if the ignition mechanism is soadjustedthat thespark occurs before the pistons reach a. dead-center position. cranking an internal combustionengine having high compression, it is not always pose sible to rotate the engine shaft upon the first attempt and, in such cases, it is necessary to allow a partial backward rotation in order that the moving parts may acquire a sufiis cient. inertia to enable the operator to rotate the engine shaft beyondthedead-center position. Many serious injuries to the operators of automobiles have occurred under such circumstances through the back firing of the engine. The actuation of the inter rupter during backward rotation is caused by the engagement of the rear portions of the usual cam surfaces of the rotatable part of the interrupter with the lever carrying one of the contact members.

If the shaft of an engine having an igni;v

rotation isimparted to the engine shaft, the

It is also well known, that, in

cam 7 is rotated in the usual manner, to separate the contact members 23 and 2 1 and thereby cause an ignition spark at the proper instant to cause forward rotation.

To adjust the point at which the cam disk operates to separate the contact members, it is only necessary to bring the piston of the cylinder which is to be fired to the position in which it is desired that the spark should occur. The disk 7 is then adjusted to such a position that the contact members are separated by a very small distance. The nut 1 is then rotated relatively to the shaft 2 so that the shoulder 5 is. in engagement with the projection 9. The locking nut 6 is then tightened to retain the nut 1 in its adjusted position. After the nut at has been properly adjusted, it is unnecessary that its relation to the shaft 2 should be disturbed. The working parts of the interrupter, including the cam 7, may then be removed for inspection or repair and returned to their respective normal positions without any necessity for again setting or timing the interrupter mechanism.

The location of the condenser within the interrupter cover member provides a convenient means for mounting it and for 0011- necting it to the working parts of the interrupter.

In the operation of the interrupter, the time of the spark may be controlled by adjusting the position of the member 14. relatively to the stationary plate 7. Thisadjustment may be accomplished in any suitable or well known manner.

The member 1 1 may be removed from the supporting plate 11 for inspection and repair of the mechanism contained therein by simply pulling it outwardly with sufficient force to remove the balls 1.5 from the groove 16.

The above and other advantages will be apparent; to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an interrupter, the combination with a rotatable member, anangularly adjustable member mountedthereon, and means forlocking said adjustable member, of a cam actuated by said adjustable member, and a pairv of relatively movable contact members controlledby said cam member.

2. In an interrupter, the combination with a rotatable member, an adjustable nut mounted thereon, and a locking nut, of a cam member having a lost-motion connection to said adjustable nut, and a pair of relatively movable contact members controlled by said cam member.

3. In an interrupter, the combination with a rotatable member, and an angularly ad justable member mounted thereon, of a pair of relatively movable contact members, and a cam member for controlling said contact members, said cam member being operatively connected to said adjustable member.

4. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact elements, a movable member for carrying one of said elements, and a cam member for controlling said movable member, of a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a nut on said screw-threaded portion and coacting with one of said members, and means for retaining said nut in position.

5. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact elements, a movable member for carrying one of said contact members, and a cam member for controlling said movable member, of a rotatable shaft, and a member angularly adjustable relatively thereto and having a lostmotion connection to one of said members.

6. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact elements, a movable member for carrying one of said contact elements, and a cam member for controlling saidmovable member, of a rotatable shaft, a nut having a screwthreaded engagement therewith and operatively connected to one of said members,

and a locking nut for retaining the other nut in position.

7. In an interrupter, the combination with a rotatable shaft, a member having a screwa threaded engagement therewith, and means for locking said member in position, of a pair of relatively movable contact members, a lever for carrying one of said contact members, a cam member for controlling said lever, said cam member being operatively connected to said member on said shaft.

8. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact mem- ..bers, of an inclosing casing therefor having a removable cover of insulating material, and a condenser located in said cover having terminals embedded therein and connected to said contact members.

9. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact members, of an inclosing casing therefor comprising a removable cap, a condenser in said cap, and common means for retaining said cap in position and for connecting the terminals of said condenser to said contact members.

10. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact members, and a condenser electrically connected thereto, of a casing for inclosing said contact members and said condenserto form a unitary mechanism, said casing comprising a removable cover of insulating material to which said condenser is secured, and common means for retaining said cover in position and for connecting the terminals of said condenser to said contact members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of Aug, 1914:.

THEODORE ABTMEYER.

Witnesses:

J. R. BAOKOFEN, B. B. HINEs.

Copies of this patent be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1

Washington, D. C. 

